Ceiling panels



United States Patent Ofi ice 3,228,153 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 3,228,163CEILING PANELS Olov Lindstrom, Bjornvagen 3, Lidiugo, Sweden Filed Aug.17, 1961, Ser. No. 132,030 4 Claims. (Cl. 52492) This invention relatesto improvements in ceiling panels and more particularly to a device forsuspending such panels in mounting means attached to a ceiling, theceiling panels having at least some of their edges provided withupstanding flanges and associated projections which latter are adaptedto cooperate with the mounting means for realizing the suspension.

Essentially characteristic to the invention is that the projections aredisposed at the sides of the flanges facing away from the ceiling panelsand adapted to engage behind corresponding shoulders in the mountingmeans which are consitituted by resilient profile members and adapted toembrace the upstanding flanges of adjoining ceiling panels. The presentinvention makes it extremely easy to dismount a ceiling, since theprojections are automatically brought out of engagement with theprojections when the adjoining ceiling panels are caused to move apartby the insertion of a flat tool between the flanges and turning of saidtool.

For a better understanding the invention will be described more indetail in the following, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing which illustrates an embodiment, chosen by way of example, ofthe device according to the invention. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device on line IIin FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of two adjoining ceiling panels;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a ceiling panel.

In the drawing, 1 designates the ceiling panels made of some suitablemetal, such as aluminium. The panels 1 which are rectangular areprovided at all four edges with upstanding integral flanges 2. In themounted position of the ceiling the flanges 2 of adjoining panels 1 abutagainst each other.

As will appear from the drawing, the flanges 2 at one pair of opposededges of the ceiling panels 1 are provided with projections 3 which areadapted to cooperate with the suspension device 4 for realizing thesuspension. Said suspension devices 4 are constituted by resilientprofile members which embrace the upstanding flanges 2 of the adjoiningceiling panels 1.

According to the invention, the projections 3 are disposed on the sidesof the flanges 2 facing away from the ceiling panels 1, i.e., theprojections are disposed at the outer sides of the flanges 2. Theprojections 3 could of course be disposed on the flanges 2, but in apreferred embodiment they consist of for instance bent-out or pressedoutportions of the flanges 2.

As will best be seen from FIG. 2, the projections 3 on the flanges 2 areof a laterally successively decreasing extension so that they do notprevent the displacement of the flat tool in the space between theadjoining flanges 2. The projections in the embodiment illustrated havebeen formed by pressing the portion over a horizontal slit 5 outwardly.

The projections 3 on adjoining flanges 2 are laterally ofl set relativeto each other so that they do not hamper each other. In order that theremay not be any obstacle the flanges 2 are besides provided, laterally ofthe projections 3, with recesses 6 for the projections 3 of theadjoining ceiling panel 1.

The suspension devices 4 consisting of resilient profile members or thelike are arranged to be fastened in a suitable manner to the ceilingwhere the panels 1 are to be mounted. The suspension devices 4 should bemounted in a parallel spaced relationship equal in width to that of thepanels 1.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated of the suspension devices 4 theshoulders with which the projections 3 are to engage are constituted byopposed, oppositely directed horizontal members 7 on the ends of theresilient tongues forming the resilient profile member. The ceilingformed by the panels 1 shall thus rest on the members 7 in such a way asto be carried by the suspension devices 4 and not to be retained onlyfrictionally by said means. The members 7 could possibly inclineslightly in an upward direction toward their lines of contact with theflanges 2 of the ceiling panels 1.

The members 7 of the suspension devices 4, which serve as shoulders,terminate at their facing edges in obliquely downwardly directedportions 8 which extend away from each other. The portions 8 form aV-shaped convolution on the ends of the depending tongues of thesuspension devices 4. The portions 8 also facilitate the introduction ofthe flanges 2 between the members 7 during the mounting of the ceiling.

Because the suspension devices 4 consist of a symmetrical profile memberof equal cross section throughout its length it is entirelyinsignificant at what relative distance the projections 3 are arranged.The projections 3, however, should preferably be arranged at the cornersof the panels 1, as is shown in the drawing. The number of projections 3on each flange 2 may otherwise be adapted to the length of the panel 1.

While the invention has been described in the foregoing in a preferredembodiment thereof, it is understood that modifications may be resortedto within the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. A ceiling board installation, comprising a plurality of ceilingboards having upstanding flanges around the edges thereof with theflanges of adjacent boards abutting each other and said flanges havingat least one aperture therein, the apertures in abutting adjacentflanges being oflset from each other in the direction of the length ofthe flanges, each flange having at least one projection thereonprojecting outwardly of the flange away from the ceiling board toward anabutting flange, said projection being opposite an aperture in theabutting flange so that each projection projects through and beyond theaperture opposed to it, and a plurality of suspension devices, eachcomprising at least one pair of resilient depending readily outwardlydivergeable tongues, and members on the ends oi said tongues extendingsubstantially horizontally toward each other and toward the projectionson said flanges, said projections resting on said members on the ends ofsaid tongues, whereby when the abutting flanges are forced apart, theprojections are retracted and the panels can then be disengaged from thesuspension devices.

2. A ceiling board installation as defined in claim 1,

characterized by the fact that the projections of the flanges consist ofpressed-out flange portions,

3. A ceiling board installation as claimed in claim 1 in which saidparts on the ends of said tongues are V shaped convolutions having anupper part which constitutes the horizontally extending members.

4. A ceiling board installation as defined in claim 3, characterized bythe fact that the remainder of said convolutions are obliquelydownwardly directed portions which extend away from each other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,478,060 8/ 1949Spiess 52493 2,841,255 7/1958 Kemp 52395 3,058,171 10/1962 Wright 52493FOREIGN PATENTS 579,608 7/ 1958 Italy.

10 RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Primary Examiner.

1. A CEILING BOARD INSTALLATION, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CEILINGBOARDS HAVING UPSTANDING FLANGES AROUND THE EDGES THEREOF WITH THEFLANGES OF ADJACENT BOARDS ABUTTING EACH OTHER AND SAID FLANGES HAVINGAT LEAST ONE APERTURE THEREIN, THE APERTURES IN ABUTTING ADJACENTFLANGES BEING OFFSET FROM EACH OTHER IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LENGTH OFTHE FLANGES, EACH FLANGE HAVING AT LEAST ONE PROJECTION THEREONPROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF THE FLANGE AWAY FROM THE CEILING BOARD TOWARD ANABUTTING FLANGE, SAID PROJECTION BEING OPPOSITE AN APERTURE IN THEABUTTING FLANGE, SO THAT EACH PROJECTION PROJECTS THROUGH AND BEYOND THEAPERTURE OPPOSED TO IT, AND A PLURALITY OF SUSPENSION DEVICES, EACHCOMPRISING AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF RESILIENT DEPENDING READILY OUTWARDLYDIVERGEABLE TONGUES, AND MEMBERS ON THE ENDS OF SAID TONGUES EXTENDINGSUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY TOWARD EACH OTHER AND TOWARD THE PROJECTIONSON SAID FLANGES, SAID PROJECTIONS RESTING ON SAID MEMBERS ON THE ENDS OFSAID TONGUES, WHEREBY WHEN THE ABUTTING FLANGES ARE FORCED APART, THEPROJECTIONS ARE RETRACTED AND THE PANELS CAN THEN BE DISENGAGED FROM THESUSPENSION DEVICES.